Immortal Aura
by Aprotny
Summary: To put it bluntly, Ash is turned immortal and Team Rocket sends his friends and mother five hundred years into the future... Oh! And Sir Aaron is resurrected and happens to be Ash's father! He follows Ash's mother and friends into the future, leaving his also-resurrected Lucario to watch over Ash. I do not own pokemon! Possibly AshXMay because it makes most sense in this story.
1. The Situation

**(A/n) I know. Why are posting another story when you haven't finished your old ones, Aprotny? Sorry, but this is a story I've been working on for a while now and it's time it be posted. I **_**will **_**work on some of my other stories… when I get over my writer's block on them. Please enjoy this story. (A/n)**

"Speaking"

"_Telepathy"_

-"Poketalk"-

Ash opened his eyes lightly. The experiments were over for the day. He could go back to his cell.

He didn't know how long it had been since he was kidnapped. Maybe a year. Maybe longer. The only way he knew morning from night was by when they woke him up and when they took him back to his cell.

Once more, he closed his eyes as soon as he returned to his cell.

When would this nightmare end?

**Far away at the Ranger Union…**

It had been three days since they resurrected Sir Aaron and his Lucario. The two were now fully recovered and ready to go on a mission, but there were no new missions to go on.

Or so they thought.

Just as the rangers were about to dismiss them, Officer Jenny called.

Her news was about a young boy who'd been kidnapped by Team Rocket ten months ago. The police's search wasn't going well and they wished for help from the rangers.

"What's the boy's name?" Rhythmi asked.

"Ash Ketchum." Officer Jenny replied.

Sir Aaron's and Lucario's eyes widened, both recognizing the name.

"I'll send you a picture of him." Officer Jenny said. "He's placed highly in several pokemon leagues, including earning first in the Unova League, and his friends and family are very worried about him. Please let us know if you have any progress."

"Will do. Thank you, Officer Jenny." Rhythmi said. Officer Jenny saluted and then hung up the phone.

Erma turned to Sir Aaron and Lucario. "We're going to need your help. Your ability to sense aura will come in handy."

"To find one specific boy without knowing his specific aura is going to be difficult, but it's doable." Sir Aaron said.

"_I know his specific aura."_ Lucario said. _"He was the one who released me from the staff and he helped me learn the truth about what you did all those years ago."_

Sir Aaron nodded. "We'd best start from the spot where he disappeared. We may be able to sense a faint trail of where he went."

"Officer Jenny said he was asleep in his bed at home when he was captured. We'll have to go to his home in Pallet Town." Solana said.

"_Alright. Let's go."_ Lucario said.

They set off for Pallet Town.

**Later…**

Delia was staring absentmindedly out the window when she saw the Staraptor land and two people and a Lucario hop off.

She stared at the man. Could it be? No, it couldn't be Aaron. He died a thousand years in the past.

They walked towards her front door and she slowly got up and answered after the knock.

"Hello there. Are you Delia Ketchum?" A female in a ranger outfit asked.

Delia nodded. The police had told her they were handing the investigation over to the rangers, so she had been expecting the group; she just hadn't expected someone who looked like her Aaron.

"Yes. Please, come in." She stepped aside to allow them into her house. Once they were settled in the living room, she spoke again. "I've been so worried about my Ash. It's been so long since he was kidnapped, but I won't give up. Not as long as I get the feeling he's still alive somewhere."

"Well, we're going to find him. I'm Solana and this is Aaron and Lucario." The female ranger, Solana, said. "They can sense aura and we're hoping to use that skill to find your son."

Aaron smiled and waved nervously. Delia showed in her eyes that she was glad to see him.

She stood up. "Follow me up to Ash's room. That would be the best place for you to start."

They went up the stairs and into a bedroom. A sad-looking Pikachu was laying on the bunk bed. He perked up when he saw Lucario, though.

-"Lucario, is that you?"- He asked.

-"Yes, the rangers resurrected us."- Lucario responded.

-"Please! Help us find Ash!"- Pikachu begged.

-"Already working on it."- Lucario promised him.

Delia picked up Pikachu. "Can you take Pikachu with you? He's desperate to find Ash and he can help if needed."

"Alright. We'll take him with us." Aaron agreed quickly. "Lucario, you know Ash's aura. Can you sense any remnants of it in here?"

"_His aura is very strong in here. The most recent trail goes out the window. We should be able to pick it up outside."_ Lucario said.

"Let's go there then." Solana said. She and Lucario left the room.

Delia and Aaron lingered for a moment.

"It's been so long, Aaron, since you last came here with Celebi and visited me and Ash." Delia said.

"I would say I missed you, but I was kind of dead at the time." Aaron said.

"They resurrected you?" Delia asked.

Aaron nodded. "Yes. They did. Does Ash know…"

"I told him before he left for Unova. He was surprised, but not angry." Delia interrupted. "He was actually proud his father gave his life for a good cause, even if he never got to know him."

They shared a short kiss before hurrying outside to Solana and Lucario.

Lucario was busy looking around the clearing beneath Ash's window with his eyes closed.

"_I have found it."_ He said. _"It goes off into the woods and then into the air. We will need the Staraptor."_

"Okay. Delia, we'll be back, and, when we return, we'll have Ash with us." Aaron promised.

Delia nodded. "I'm counting on you." The two aura users and Solana left, and Delia added quietly. "Be careful…"

**I've been trying to find the right scenario for this one ever since I read CG07's Son of Aura. Finally, I decided to combine two of my story ideas together. Hope you enjoyed the outcome of the first chapter.**


	2. Pre-Rescue

Ash was horrified at the conversation he'd just overheard. Did they just say that the experiments had strengthened his aura so much that he was immortal and invulnerable? Surely they were lying…

But it was a conversation he hadn't been supposed to hear and Dr. Namba wouldn't lie to his boss.

What worried him most was that they were considering holding either his mother or one of his friends hostage so that he'd work for them.

He bit his lip. He couldn't let them get ahold of his power. There was too much of it now. He was probably even more powerful than Sir Aaron was.

He remembered what his mother had told him before he went off to Unova about Sir Aaron being his father. Team Rocket could never know or he'd be treated worse than before.

It took him a moment to process the fact that the tube he was in had been opened and they had already taken off the cords so that he could get out. He didn't realize it until he was yanked out of the tube and placed on his feet.

He stumbled a bit. That last experiment had really taken a toll on him. He quickly regained his balance and started walking towards his cell, just thinking. He'd memorized the way to his cell and back now so he didn't have to look to know where he was going. Instead, he looked at his feet, just thinking.

He entered his cell and the door was closed and locked behind him.

Suddenly, he had an idea.

If his aura powers were strengthened, wouldn't that mean he'd be able to summon them easier without training?

He tried it and, sure enough, he could easily create a ball of aura. He couldn't keep it there for long, but he knew he'd be able to with a little more practice.

And so he practiced.

**Meanwhile…**

"Sir Aaron, Lucario, it's getting late! We're going to have to stop for the night!" Solana called to her companions.

"But…" Sir Aaron began.

"Ash can survive another night imprisoned! We won't be able to rescue him if we're exhausted!" Solana continued.

Sir Aaron sighed. "Alright, but we set out first thing in the morning."

**Later…**

"Why do you care so much about Ash? You haven't even met him before. Lucario and I have, but you haven't, so why do you care so much?" Solana asked at the campfire after dinner.

"The truth is, I have met him before. I used to know this Celebi and I would travel with her sometimes. One time, a couple decades before now, I met a woman. Her name was Delia Ketchum." Sir Aaron explained.

Realization dawned on Solana's face. "Ash is your son, isn't he?"

Sir Aaron nodded. "Delia and I got married in secret and had Ash when I next visited. The last time I saw him was when he was three years old. That's why I care so much; he's my little boy. I love him."

"I can understand why you're so worried then." Solana said.

Lucario, who had been listening, said. _"You'd be happy to know that we are more than halfway there. We'll reach him by tomorrow afternoon and be able to attempt a rescue tomorrow night."_

"Good, I don't want him in enemy clutches any longer than necessary." Sir Aaron exclaimed.

"Let's get some rest now. We won't be getting much sleep tomorrow night, that's for sure." Solana said.

The other two agreed and they were soon fast asleep.


	3. The Rescue

**(A/n) Sorry it took so long. I had this chapter written, but between school and Spring Break, I didn't have the time to post it. Enjoy. (A/n)**

Ash quickly got rid of his Aura Sphere when he heard footsteps. He'd been practicing aura all night and he was planning to make his escape the coming evening as he was being returned to his cell.

Team Rocket grabbed him and dragged him from the cell. Ash stumbled several times since he had been up all night, but managed to get to the lab without causing too much of a scene.

The grunts put him in the tube, like they did every day, and connected the wires.

It had barely been five minutes when Ash heard something he had been praying he wouldn't.

"It looks as if he's been using his aura. We'll keep him in the tube tonight. We can't allow him to learn any more tricks. He could use it to his advantage." Dr. Namba said. Although Ash's eyes were closed, he knew Dr. Namba was looking straight at him. "Lock the tube so he can't get out. We can't experiment on his aura anymore or he will be able to escape. We'll experiment on other aspects."

Ash knew it was going to be a long day.

**Later…**

Solana, Aaron, Pikachu, and Lucario knelt behind some bushes close to the Team Rocket base. They all knew the plan.

Aaron was going to distract and knock out the guards, while Pikachu, Lucario, and Solana were going to sneak in and get Ash out.

Aaron nodded to Solana, Pikachu, and Lucario, ran over, tackled one of the guards, and ran around the corner.

The guards followed him in anger. Solana, Pikachu, and Lucario took their chance and slipped into the building.

"Where's the most recent trail?" Solana whispered, Pikachu on her shoulder.

"_This way."_ Lucario replied, leading the way. Suddenly, he stopped and pressed Solana against the wall.

Two Team Rocket grunts and a Team Rocket guy who looked like a scientist walked past them.

"The boy is getting stronger. We need to watch him closely to make sure he doesn't break free." The scientist guy said.

"The tube's locked, Dr. Namba. It's unbreakable as well. He won't be able to get out." One of the grunts assured him. "Only one of us could free him."

"Unless someone's good at hacking." Dr. Namba said.

"Well, no one will be able to get past the guards at the entrances. There will be no intruders to break him free. Nobody's found him in over ten months, why would they now?" The other grunt said.

The three turned a corner and Solana, Pikachu, and Lucario hurried in the direction the three came from. They soon reached a lab. There, in a tube, was a raven-haired boy wearing a white t-shirt and white shorts. His eyes were closed, but Lucario got the feeling he knew they were there.

"We need to hack the system to get him out." Solana whispered and ran over to the computer. She did some fast hacking and soon the tube was open and the liquid inside drained.

Ash opened his eyes as Lucario pulled the wires off him. He looked at Solana and understood they were here to rescue him.

He stepped out of the tube, but had to hold onto it to keep his balance.

"Can you walk?" Solana asked him quietly.

The moment Ash let go of the tube, he fell to his knees, proving he was too weak to walk.

"Lucario, please carry him." Solana said.

Lucario nodded and lifted Ash onto his back.

"_Don't worry, Ash. We'll get you out of here."_ He told the boy, who was visibly confused when he heard Lucario talk, but seemed not to care at the moment, closing his eyes and resting his head on Lucario's shoulder.

Lucario, Pikachu, and Solana ran out of the room and Lucario pulled Solana around a corner just as one of the grunts came back to the lab, probably having forgotten something.

Moments later, an announcement came over the intercom. "Attention all units. The boy is loose. I repeat, the boy is loose."

Lucario and Solana exchanged glances. Ash seemed to be asleep.

"_We run now."_ Lucario said.

Solana nodded. "Where's Sir Aaron?"

Lucario closed his eyes and then opened them again. _"He's waiting by the Staraptors. Let's go before we're found. I think I know another way out."_

Solana and Lucario were halfway to the other exit when they came across a large mass of grunts.

They started to back up, but stopped when they realized there were grunts behind them too.

"_Hold onto Ash."_ Lucario said for only Solana to hear before handing her the boy and fighting off the grunts, managing to knock them all out with Pikachu's help.

This time they managed to make it all the way to the exit before confronting any more guards. These guards were also easily defeated by Lucario and Pikachu.

Solana, Pikachu, and Lucario ran back to the Staraptor as fast as they could.

When Aaron saw Ash asleep on Lucario, he got straight to business. "Hand him here. I'll hang onto him while we fly back to Pallet Town."

Lucario handed over Ash and Aaron climbed onto one of the Staraptor with the young boy in his arms.

"Let's go before Team Rocket finds us." Solana said, she and Lucario also climbing onto Staraptors, Pikachu going with Solana.

The group set off for Pallet Town.

**Two days later…**

Ash stumbled off the Staraptor and into his mother's arms. Delia was crying with joy about her son being back safe and sound.

"Thank you _so_ much for saving my son!" She said to Solana, Lucario, and Aaron. "I was so worried about him."

"It's all in a day's work, ma'am." Solana said.

On Ash's shoulder, Pikachu rubbed his cheek against Ash's and gave a happy. "Pikapi!"

"Mom, there's something I have to tell you." Ash whispered, hoping he could push the words out of his mouth.

"What is it, Ash?" Delia asked.

Ash was silent for a moment. "Team Rocket… they… never mind…"

"What did Team Rocket do to you?" Delia asked, worried.

"They… um…" Ash couldn't say it. He couldn't tell her they'd turned him immortal.

"They experimented on you, didn't they?" Solana asked.

Ash nodded. "Yes…"

"Oh, Ash! I'm so sorry! If only we'd found you sooner!" Delia cried, tightening her grip on her son.

"I'm sorry, Delia. If we could have found him earlier, we would have." Aaron said.

"It's not your fault, Aaron. Come on into the house. I'll make some cookies." Delia said.

"Yum…" Ash whispered with a small smile on his face.

Delia helped him over to the couch in the living room before going into the kitchen.

A few minutes later, there was a crash and a scream.

"Mom!" Ash cried.

"Delia!" Aaron yelled at the same time.

They ran into the kitchen to see a Team Rocket helicopter taking off just outside.

"No!" Ash screamed, starting to climb through the broken window in an attempt to save his mom.

Aaron grabbed him before he could and handed him to Lucario. "Keep him in the house. I am going to try to save Delia."

"No! I won't stay behind!" Ash shouted.

"Ash, listen to me." Aaron said, forcing him to look him in the eyes. "You're too weak right now to go after them. I'm sorry to say this, but you'll just make the rescue more difficult. I'm making you stay here for your, and your mother's, own good. So please, don't argue with me. I promise that, no matter what happens, I will bring your mother back to Pallet Town."

A tear slid down Ash's cheek, but he agreed to stay behind with Lucario and Solana.

"Good luck, Sir Aaron." Solana whispered as Aaron took off after the helicopter on a Staraptor.

Just then, the oven dinged, signaling the cookies were done.

Solana took them out so that they wouldn't start a fire or anything.

"Ash, do you want a cookie?" She asked. "Might make you feel better."

Ash shook his head and Solana sighed.

"Come on, Ash. Don't let them go to waste." She urged. "I know you're hungry."

"I can't eat while my mom's in danger." Ash said. "I'm going to call Brock."

Solana followed Ash to the phone and watched as the boy dialed a number.

A little girl who seemed to have been crying picked up the phone. "H-hello?"

"Hi, Cindy. Is Brock there?" Ash asked.

"N-no… but I'll tell him you called." Cindy replied, hanging up the phone immediately after.

"Well, that was rude." Solana remarked as Ash started dialing another number. "Who are you calling now?"

"Misty." Ash answered simply.

The phone dialed a few moments before a teenage girl picked up. "Hello?"

"Hi, Daisy. Can I speak to Misty?" Ash asked.

"Misty's , like, not here right now. Can you call back later?" Daisy responded uneasily.

"Daisy, did something happen to Misty?" Ash asked cautiously.

Daisy nodded slowly. "Yeah. Team Rocket kidnapped her."

Ash looked as if he'd been hit by a raging Aggron. "Please tell me you're not serious."

"Sorry, Ash. I am serious. They came out of nowhere and nabbed her in the middle of a gym battle." Daisy said. "The police are out searching right now."

"Thanks for the information, Daisy. I appreciate it." Ash said quietly.

Daisy nodded and hung up.

Ash soon found out his other friends had been kidnapped by Team Rocket too, including Brock.

He sat down on the couch and wrapped his arms around his legs.

"Please hurry, Dad. I can't lose them."


	4. Five Hundred Years Later

**Five hundred years later…**

A bright light lit up the forest directly below Pallet Town. There were more bright lights over the next few minutes before it finally stopped.

Ash's mother and friends looked around.

"Where are we?" Misty asked.

"It looks like the middle of a forest." Brock observed. He looked up. "There's the outline of something above us. Maybe a flying ship or something that can turn invisible."

"Wherever we are, I hope my little boy is doing all right." Delia said.

"Ash is old enough to take care of himself. I'm sure he's fine." Brock assured her.

"What was that light?" They heard an unfamiliar voice say.

"I don't know, but let's go check it out." Another unfamiliar voice said.

Two girls walked, no, flew, into the clearing. They wore futuristic clothing and rode on some kind of hover board. The family resemblance between the two girls was obvious, although one looked a couple years older than the other.

"Hello." The older girl, who the first voice belonged to, said. "I'm Belle and this is my little sister Annie. You don't look to be from around here. Would you like a tour?"

The group shrugged. They had nothing to lose. Why not?

"Does it cost money?" Delia asked, knowing they had none.

"Nope. The town council pays us to give tours to newcomers." The younger girl, Annie, who the second voice belonged to, answered.

"Well, we don't have any of those boards." Cilan pointed to the boards the girls were on.

"No problem! We'll use the bus!" Belle said cheerfully.

"What bus?" Iris asked.

Belle and Annie hopped off their hover boards, miniaturized them, and put them in their pockets. Then, Belle pulled something else out of her pocket and pressed a button to make it bigger.

The group gaped that a bus could grow out of a pocket-sized piece of machinery, and a flying bus at that!

"All aboard!" Belle said, climbing into the driver's seat of the bus, while her sister climbed into a seat faced the back.

The group nervously climbed aboard the bus.

"Seatbelts on?" Belle asked and the group quickly put on their seatbelts. "Off we go!"

The bus rose into the air and took a shortcut into the invisible thing above their heads.

"Welcome to Pallet Town! Year 2505!" Annie began, causing the group to exchange glances and look around at the city that was now visible. "Most of Pallet Town was burned down in the great fire of 2323, allowing it to be rebuilt into the metropolis you see today. Most of modern technology is to make sure we can expand without destroying natural habitats." She blabbered on about the buildings and monuments they were passing and what the buildings and monuments meant to their city. Nothing of importance for most of the tour. It was near the end of the tour when she caught their attention. "Now, I'm sure you've all heard the story of the immortal boy, right?" The group shook their heads. "No? Well then, I'll just have to tell it to you! Sometime over five hundred years ago, a young boy was born. Time has forgotten his name and the exact year he was born, but it is said that he was born right here in Pallet Town! No one knows exactly how he became immortal, but legend has it that it was not willingly. He became known not for being immortal, but for what he's done with his life. Every time a large group of people or a single legendary pokemon was in danger, he would swoop in and save the day, wearing a mask to hide his face. It is said that he knew when people were in danger via his connection with the legendary pokemon, most all of whom he'd befriended. It is also said that, long ago, around when he stopped looking his age, a friend created a device that would make the boy's pokemon immortal as well. However, he only managed to use it on the two pokemon most important to him before it broke and his friend was unable to fix it or create a new one. Those two pokemon, a Lucario and a Pikachu, are always seen with him. Legend has it that the Lucario was once his father's and that the Pikachu was his first pokemon."

"His first pokemon?" Delia interrupted, thinking immediately of Ash.

"Yep!" Annie continued. "So the legend says! Now, I, for one, believe the legend is true. After all, the boy has been sighted thousands of times over the last century. Belle, on the other hand, believes…"

"I believe it's impossible for a person to be immortal. A legendary pokemon, maybe, but not a human being." Belle interrupted. "I believe that Annie is naïve and crazy to believe the legend is the least bit true. He probably keeps having his kids take over for him after he grows old."

"But he never ages one bit, Belle! Everyone familiar with the legend knows that!" Annie argued.

"Then, the legend is faulty." Belle retorted. "Well, the tour is over. Hope you enjoyed!"

"Thank you, Belle. Thank you, Annie. You can just let us off here." Delia said. "We'll be staying in town for a bit."

The group, including Belle and Annie, got off the bus. Then, Belle miniaturized the bus and she and Annie got out their hover boards and flew away.

"What now?" Cilan asked. "We've obviously been sent into the future, but how do we deal with it?"

"I suggest we get ourselves some money and then look for a way back into the past." Misty said.

"In other words, split up and look for jobs." May said.

"May?" Max said.

"Yes, Max?" May responded, turning to look at her younger brother.

"I'm too young to get a job." Max pointed out.

(Anime collapse: Everyone but Max.)

"Okay then. One of us is going to have to stay with Max while the others are working." Brock said.

"I'll do it. I'm good at looking after kids." Delia volunteered.

"Thank you, Mrs. Ketchum. Everyone else, split up and look for jobs." May said. "We'll meet right here at 7:30 pm."

The group split up. Brock and Cilan found jobs as chefs at two coincidently rival restaurants. Misty found a job as a waitress at Brock's restaurant while Iris was a waitress at Cilan's restaurant. Dawn and May found jobs in a clothing store, and Tracey, spending the longest time looking for a job, managed to get himself a job as an assistant to the local Pokemon Professor, who so happened to be a descendant of Gary Oak.

They met up at 7:30 pm, as planned, and found out each other's jobs.

"You're lucky, Tracey. You got the same job you had before all this happened." Misty said. "I wish I could still be a gym leader, but no such luck."

"Brock and Cilan are lucky too; all they have to do is cook, which is something that doesn't qualify as work for them." Iris pointed out.

"We're going to have to learn how to cook new recipes though." Cilan said. "Food in this era isn't the same as the food we're used to."

"At least that's not too much of a challenge." Brock pointed out. "And who knows? Maybe our bosses will let us introduce some dishes from our own era."

"Good point." Cilan agreed.

"I suggest our next course of action be finding a place to spend the night." Delia said.

"The Pokemon Center won't do. They need an ID and ours won't work with this era's technology." Dawn pointed out.

"I guess we're sleeping outside until we gather enough money to rent a place." Iris groaned.

"We'll have to make do." Misty said. "We don't have a choice."

The others agreed and they set out to find a place they wouldn't be seen while they slept.


	5. Kidnapped

**A few days later…**

The door opened as a customer came in to the restaurant where Brock and Misty worked. Unfortunately, neither was near the front of the restaurant to see who it was, nor did they know that this person wasn't just any old customer.

The owner of the restaurant came over to greet the customer, who also doubled as a food taster. "Glad you could make it, Ash. Our new chef introduced quite a few dishes I've never heard of before. I'd like to add some of them to the menu, but I need them to be tested first."

Ash smiled lightly. "I'd be happy to be of service to you, Mr. Jones. I always love trying new foods."

Ash followed him into the kitchen, thinking. Mr. Jones was one of the few humans whom he trusted enough to tell his secret. No other humans in this decade knew his real name or that he was immortal like Mr. Jones did. The last human he'd shared his secret with had died twelve years ago of old age.

Several food dishes were sitting on a table in the corner of the kitchen, waiting to be tasted.

Ash took a bite of each, getting closer to tears with each one. These dishes weren't new, they were old. Five hundred years old. Brock had made them for him when they were traveling together.

"How are they?" Mr. Jones asked.

"Really good." Ash said truthfully. "You should definitely put them on the menu."

Mr. Jones smiled. "Thank you, Ash. Here's your payment." He gave Ash two hundred poke dollars.

Ash didn't bother to count it, knowing how much it was. "You really don't need to give me this much, Mr. Jones."

Mr. Jones waved a hand to show that it was no trouble. "It's no secret to me that you barely have enough money to support yourself, Ash."

Ash blushed. "You're right. Thanks, Mr. Jones. You know my number if there are any more dishes your new chef wants to try."

Mr. Jones smiled after Ash as the boy left the kitchen. Then, he went to his office to make a new menu to include the new dishes.

Ash stepped outside the restaurant and almost burst into tears, but managed to hold it in. He wiped his eyes of the few tears that escaped and went somewhere private to look at his holographic photo album and remember Brock and the others.

**Meanwhile…**

Delia and Max were wandering around town when they caught a glimpse of a raven-haired boy who appeared to be about fourteen coming out of the restaurant Brock and Misty worked at.

He looked about to cry and he didn't notice them as he turned a corner into an alleyway.

Exchanging glances, Delia and Max followed.

The boy sat down and pulled something out of his bag. It looked to be a book with no pages.

He opened it and a hologram came out. Then, he touched the hologram and brought his finger across it, apparently changing what he was seeing.

Tears came to the boy's eyes. Whatever he was seeing, it was sad.

Finally, he closed the 'book'… and almost noticed them.

Just before he did, an 'Alakazam' appeared and said something to him.

The boy nodded and pulled a cloak and mask out of his bag while putting the 'book' back in the bag.

The boy put on the cloak and mask and the 'Alakazam' teleported him somewhere.

Delia and Max left the alleyway.

"Was that…" Max began.

"It must've been…" Delia began at the same time.

"The immortal boy." They realized together.

"It… it looked sort of like Ash…" Max said.

Delia thought about it. "It really did, and the legend seemed to go along with his story, or what could've been his story."

"We have to tell the others." Max said.

"No, we need to gather more information first. We have to _know_ it's Ash before we tell the others. Otherwise, we'll be giving them what could be false hope." Delia said.

"Okay, but we're going to have to confront him at some point to find out." Max said.

Delia nodded. "I know that, but we have to figure out what to say to him first as well as do, as rude as it is, some spying."

Max nodded. "I'm with you there. Let's find that girl Annie again. Maybe she knows some more about the legend."

"Delia?" A man said.

Delia spun around. "Aaron?"

The man nodded. "I followed you through the portal when no one was looking. If I'd known we'd end up five hundred years in the future, I would've stayed with Ash. However, I promised him I'd bring you home to Pallet Town, and I was determined to keep that promise."

"Well, you didn't exactly break the promise. We _are_ in Pallet Town." Delia said.

"Yes, but Ash isn't here to see it." Aaron said sadly.

Delia and Max exchanged glances. Then, Delia told him their theory.

"You think Ash is still alive?" Aaron asked in disbelief.

"It's a possibility, if that legend is true." Max said.

Aaron thought for a minute. "He did seem to be having difficulty telling you something when I brought him home. Maybe he already knew."

Delia nodded. "The legend said he managed to make two pokemon immortal with him. A Lucario that once belonged to his father, aka you, and a Pikachu that was his first pokemon. Tell me that doesn't spell Ash for you."

"If I told you it didn't, I would be lying." Aaron agreed. "There's a possibility you're right, but don't get your hopes up. Hey, where are the other people they pushed through the portal?"

"Working to get us some money so we have a place to stay." Max answered.

Aaron was about to answer when he noticed a boy coming out of an alleyway. A boy who looked like Ash, just as Delia and Max had described. He pointed at the boy and Delia and Max turned around.

The boy didn't notice them, walking in the opposite direction.

"What do we say to him?" Delia asked.

Aaron walked over to the boy and tapped him on the shoulder, saying. "Excuse me."

The boy turned around. 'Z's on the cheeks. Amber eyes. It was definitely Ash. His reaction just proved it more. He looked Aaron up and down, turned and ran. Delia, Max, and Aaron could swear he started crying.

"That didn't work out too well." Max remarked.

"Well, we got our proof that he is who we think he is. We just have to prove to him now that we are who he thinks we are." Aaron said.

They stared after Ash, who was still running away from them.

"And how are we going to do that?" Delia asked.

"I don't know, but we have to find some way." Aaron said.

"I suggest we discuss it with the others." Max said. "They can help us figure it out."

The two adults agreed and they spent the rest of the day wandering the town, waiting for the others to be done with their jobs.

7:30 finally rolled around and the others were certainly surprised to find that someone had followed them through the portal, especially someone most of them had never met before. They were even more surprised to hear what they had to say about Ash.

"Are you sure?" Dawn asked. "I mean, are you sure it wasn't just wishful thinking?"

Delia shook her head. "He looked exactly like Ash and reacted exactly as I could imagine Ash doing in this situation. It _was_ Ash. I'm sure of it."

"And you think he might be the immortal boy from the legend?" Cilan asked.

Delia nodded. "An Alakazam, which was probably a disguised Mew, appeared and he pulled out a mask and cloak. Then, the Mew teleported him away. I think he stays in Pallet Town when he's not called away and Mew always comes for him when he's needed."

"That would make sense. I mean, he's traveled all over the world. There's no need for him to see it again, even if it _has_ changed over the years. Not to mention, if there were one place he wanted to stay when he's not needed, it would be his hometown of Pallet Town." Brock said.

The others agreed.

"We're going to keep an eye on him whenever we can and try to prove we are who he thinks we are." Aaron explained. "That's all we can really do for now."

The others agreed again.

"And we'll keep making money for the group." Dawn added. "That's all _we_ can really do for now."

**Meanwhile…**

"_It's him, Ash. I'd recognize his aura anywhere, even after five hundred years."_ Lucario told Ash.

"But how are they here?" Ash asked.

"_I don't know. Most likely, Team Rocket did something to them that sent them into the future. Sir Aaron probably followed them in an attempt to keep his promise to you."_ Lucario said.

Ash nodded. "Well, he _did_ keep it. Even if it took five hundred years to bring her back to Pallet Town." He surveyed the group he was watching from the alleyway and hesitated. "Should I go up to them? Should I say something?"

"_Up to you, Ash, but…"_ Lucario stopped mid-sentence as purple smoke surrounded them. _"This can't be good."_

Ash passed out from the sleep powder seconds after Lucario said that. Lucario followed in his wake.

People wearing gas masks surrounded the two and picked up Ash. Then, they left, taking Ash with them.

**Twenty-two hours later…**

Lucario awoke with a start. Ash was gone, but his possessions were left behind.

Lucario picked up the bag as Alakazam/Mew appeared to get Ash's help.

-"Lucario, where's Ash?"- It asked.

Lucario looked the disguised Mew in the eyes. _"I think he's been taken."_

Mew's eyes widened. –"WHAT?! BY WHO?!"-

"_I don't know. One of the criminal groups he's taken down recently must've heard us talking and put two and two together."_ Lucario said.

-"You know you're not supposed to talk about your immortality!"- Mew scolded.

"_Ash's friends and family have reappeared. We were talking about them and mentioned it having been five hundred years since we last saw them. Then, whoever took Ash knocked us out with sleeping powder. I don't even know how long I've been out."_ Lucario explained. _"We need to go to Mr. Jones. He can gather some people to help us."_

-"This is bad, really bad. Who's going to help Victini?"- Mew flew/paced back and forth.

"_You go help Victini. I'll work on finding Ash"_ Lucario said.

Mew agreed and teleported away.

Lucario turned and ran towards Mr. Jones's restaurant.

Hopefully, Ash would be found soon and Victini would be okay.


	6. Lucario Goes For Help

Misty's head swung towards the door when it burst open and a Lucario raced in.

"A Lucario?" One customer murmured. "Those are rare."

"I want to catch it." Another customer said.

"Why's it wearing a bag?" A third customer wondered.

The boss, Mr. Jones, hurried over to the Lucario and questioned it in a quiet voice.

Lucario seemed to be talking, which would've been weird if Misty hadn't heard of pokemon translators in the past few weeks. She noted that the Lucario looked extremely worried about something, but decided it was probably none of her business.

Mr. Jones hurried to the kitchen before coming back to Lucario and leaving the restaurant. Misty realized he had probably put someone else in charge for the time he was gone.

She found that to be true when she went to pick up another order from the kitchen. The cooks were speaking their thoughts about the boss leaving when he was still on duty.

"Something urgent must've come up." Brock said. "He wouldn't have left otherwise."

"It must've been about someone he cares about. Why else would he be in such a rush?" Another cook said.

Misty added on to the conversation. "A Lucario came in and spoke to him. The Lucario seemed anxious about something."

Brock nodded. "That makes sense."

Misty took the order and took it to the customer that had ordered it before coming back to talk some more. "I don't know what happened, but the Lucario had a bag. I think it belonged to Lucario's trainer. Maybe Lucario's trainer is missing or something."

"Maybe." A third cook said.

**Meanwhile…**

"Now that we've got the immortal boy, getting the legendries will be a piece of cake." A man snickered. "Those pathetic pokemon have come to rely on him whenever they were in danger. They've probably forgotten how to look after themselves. Without the boy to help them, they'll have no chance against us."

The man and the people he was talking to glanced over at the tube the boy was in. The tube maintained a constant flow of oxygen and glucose and administered sleeping powder every twenty-one hours and fifty-nine minutes. The sleeping powder lasted twenty-two hours so the boy wouldn't be able to wake up unless removed from the tube.

"We've got a report in that Victini and Mew have been captured, Boss." Another man told the first man. "They were unable to put up much of a fight without the boy by their side."

"Excellent." The boss said. "Continue capturing the legendries. Once we have all of them, we'll be unstoppable!"

The group cheered. The boss looked back at the boy in the tube as they left the room.

"You've been a pain in my backside for a long time, boy, but now all you've worked to protect will be mine." The boss turned and followed his underlings out of the room.

**Meanwhile…**

Mr. Jones had gathered several friends to help with the search for Ash. He told them what the boy looked like and begged them to help find him. Soon, word had spread all over that the boy, who was currently going by the name of Eric, was missing.

Weeks passed and the legendary pokemon were disappearing one by one or even two by two. People were starting to wonder why the legendary 'immortal boy' wasn't stopping it. Some were even wondering if he even actually existed, while others were worried something had happened to him.

The group of Ash's friends and family were no exception. The disappearances worried them, especially since Mr. Jones had asked for their help to look for 'Eric'. They worried Eric was actually Ash, since they hadn't seen Ash since Delia, Aaron, and Max had told them he was alive.

The search went on.


	7. Another Rescue

The legendary pokemon thrashed against their cages, desperately trying to get out.

"_Everybody calm down!"_ Arceus roared. _"Struggling will get us nowhere! We must find a way to contact the chosen one!"_

-"Arceus, they wouldn't have succeeded in capturing all of us if Ash was there to stop them."- Mew said. –"I think they're holding Ash captive"-

Arceus was quiet for a moment. _"Then, we must find a way to help rescue the chosen one."_

-"In other words, struggling is good."- Latias remarked.

"_No, struggling will still get us nowhere. We need to work together to get each other out."_ Arceus said.

-"With modern technology, that will be difficult."- Lugia noted.

Mew thought for a moment. -"Lucario said something about Ash's friends and family having reappeared."-

-"Reappeared? I thought they were dead."- Groudon grumbled.

Mew glared at him before continuing. -"I think Ash is here as well, somewhere in this building. If we can contact his friends and family and give them our coordinates, they can rescue us and Ash."-

-"And how do we do that?"- Kyogre asked.

Everyone turned to look at Manaphy.

"Contact Mama?" Manaphy asked.

"_Yes, Manaphy. Can you do that?"_ Arceus asked.

Manaphy nodded and began.

**Meanwhile…**

May was putting some clothes back on their racks when Manaphy's voice sounded in her head.

"Mama, come save us." Manaphy said.

Coordinates appeared in May's mind. She narrowed her eyes.

"I'll be there soon, Manaphy." She whispered.

**Later…**

The police typed in the coordinates May had given them.

"And you're sure this is where the legendary pokemon are being kept?" Officer Jenny asked.

May nodded. "I'm sure."

Officer Jenny turned to her coworkers. "Let's go save those legendries. Miss, do you have any pokemon?" May nodded. "Then you could be of use to us. Come on."

**Even later…**

The police arrived a mile or so from the coordinates.

"We'll go the rest of the way by hover board." Officer Jenny announced.

The group nodded. May struggled a little to keep her balance, but soon got the hang of it.

It took about ten minutes to get to the base by hover board. Unlike most buildings of the era, it was on the ground, probably to keep curious people from finding it.

"Let's go." Officer Jenny said. They got off their hover boards and entered the building silently.

After a few minutes of walking the halls, May spotted something peculiar out of the corner of her eye. She stopped, turned, and entered the room, not noticing the police going on without her.

In the room were several machines all attached to a tube containing a young boy who appeared to be about fourteen years old.

May walked closer. It was Ash. Mrs. and Mr. Ketchum and Max had been right when they said he was alive. She backed up a bit and pulled two pokeballs off her belt.

"Blaziken! Wartortle! Let's go!" She called. Blaziken and Wartortle emerged from their pokeballs. "Blaziken, use Fire Spin! Wartortle, use Water Gun! Then, Blaziken, use Sky Uppercut and Wartortle, use Rapid Spin!" She pointed to the tube.

The attacks succeeded in breaking the glass and May slowly pulled Ash out of there. Some shards fell to the floor as May lifted her friend onto her back. Holding Ash on her back with one hand, May returned her pokemon to their pokeballs with the other.

Then, she turned to exit the room… just to find the door blocked by five men.

"Going somewhere?" One sneered.

May scowled and threw one of the two pokeballs in her hand, putting the other away. Blaziken reemerged from his pokeball.

"Blaziken, use Quick Attack! Get them out of my way!" She shouted. With her path cleared, she ran out of the building, Blaziken on her heels.

**Meanwhile…**

"Ma'am, the girl we brought with us. She's missing." One of the police officers reported to Officer Jenny.

"Shoot. We need to find her before we leave." Officer Jenny said.

Just then, Mew teleported them all out, taking them back to the hover cars.

The police looked around.

"Listen, there's a girl we brought with us. She's not here." Officer Jenny said.

"_We'll go find her. You head back to where you came from. We'll take her there when we find her."_ Arceus said.

Officer Jenny nodded slowly. "Take her to the police station in Pallet Town. That's where we'll be."

"_Alright."_ Arceus agreed.

The police left in their hover cars.

"_All of you, head back home. Mew and I will handle this."_ Arceus told the other legendries that had been captured. _"Mew, let's go find May."_

"Find Mama." Manaphy said, obviously wanting to come along.

Arceus sighed. _"Since you have such a strong connection to her, I guess you can come."_

"Yay!" Manaphy cheered.

**Meanwhile…**

May raced through the forest with Ash on her back and Blaziken by her side.

Suddenly, she tripped and fell. She quickly tried to get up, but found her foot foot was stuck under s root. She cursed under her breath as she was surrounded by the ones she'd been running from.

"Nice try, girly." One of them sneered. "But you're not getting away from us that easily."

"HELP!" May screamed. "SOMEONE HELP ME!"

The criminals advanced on her, but then a Blizzard froze several of them and a Psychic pushed them out of the way.

With the criminals frozen in shock, Arceus, Mew, and Manaphy went to May, Ash, and Blaziken and Mew teleported them away.

**Moments Later…**

"Where are we?" May asked, looking around in awe.

"_We are in the Hall of Origin."_ Arceus informed her. _"Here is where the legendries are able to meet privately. Listen. Ash cannot return to Pallet Town for years to come. It is far too dangerous. Since you were seen with him, I suspect they'll go after you too. I promised the police I'd take you to the police station. Do what you must and then meet us at the peak of Mount Silver. You and Ash will have to travel in order to keep away from those villains. Tell no one where you are going. Bring no one, with the exception of Lucario, Pikachu, and your own pokemon, along."_

"What about my friends and Ash's parents?" May asked. "They're already worried about Ash and they'll worry about me too if I leave all of a sudden."

Arceus thought it over for a moment. _"Tell them you've decided you want to travel the world to see how it has changed. Tell them you'd like to go alone and do not allow anyone to go with you. Try to throw them off your trail somehow. Keep them from following you."_

May nodded in understanding. "But how do I tell Lucario and Pikachu?"

"_That is something you will have to figure out on your own, but try to do it without anyone listening and do not tell them the destination."_ Arceus said. _"Mew, take her to the Pallet Town police station and then come back here. Manaphy, you can travel with Ash and May if you'd like, but wait until we meet at Mount Silver."_

May took one last look at Ash before she was teleported away.

After letting the police know she was okay, she started getting ready for her journey with the money she had earned from her job. She bought a hover board, a sleeping bag, a new backpack, some food, and some cooking supplies. Then, she met with Lucario, who still had Ash's bag, as well as Pikachu, who was out of his much more comfortable pokeball, and asked them to come with her. At 7:30, she explained her plan to her friends and Ash's parents and left before they could ask questions.

Her journey had begun.


	8. The Journey Begins

**(A/n) Extremely long chapter. (A/n)**

"_We're being followed."_ Lucario said. _"And I don't recognize their auras."_

May glanced behind her worriedly. "Do you think it's one of my friends you haven't met yet?"

"_No. When Ash was captured, he was watching you and his other friends and family. He wanted to know if it was really you. I got a good look at all of your auras."_ Lucario said. _"I think they may be bad news."_

May glanced behind her again. "I wish I had a pokemon that could teleport us to our destination."

"_What is our destination?"_ Lucario asked curiously.

"I'm under orders to tell no one and bring no one other than you, Pikachu, and my own pokemon." May said. "It's too risky."

Lucario sighed. _"I figured as much. Arceus doesn't want Ash getting recaptured."_

"Pi." Pikachu agreed, riding on May's shoulder.

"Freeze!" May and Lucario spun around. The men May had taken Ash from surrounded them, holding a futuristic type of guns. "Where is the boy?!"

Pikachu jumped off May's shoulder, sparks coming from his cheeks. Lucario went into a battle position as well.

May thought quickly. "He's in Hoenn. In La Rousse City. That's our destination."

"La Rousse City? How'd he get there?" One of the men asked.

"Mew teleported us there. Then, it teleported me back to Pallet Town." May said, doing her best to look as if she were feeling guilty.

The man glared at her. "What do you say, boys? Bring her with us to search for the boy? If she's lying, we kill her."

May gulped. The men were lowering their guns, but they were also getting closer to her.

Before she knew it, Lucario had pulled her onto his back and leaped over the circle of men, taking off through the forest.

Pikachu was right behind them, soon managing to hop on Lucario as well.

May was surprised when Lucario took a sharp right, and then a left further on, and then hid.

"Are you okay, Lucario?" May whispered.

"_Quiet, May. They'll hear you."_ Lucario hissed in her mind.

May immediately shut her mouth, slightly biting her lip.

There was the sound of yelling in the distance, getting farther away from them.

Finally, it was completely gone. Lucario closed his eyes and looked around with his Aura Sight to see if it was clear.

"_They're gone."_ He finally said. _"We can continue."_

May gave a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness. Let's go."

It took two months to get to Mount Silver without public transportation, mostly using the hover boards. Then, it took a week to get to the top through the mountain.

Finally, it took two days to find the cave where Ash was waiting with Manaphy, Arceus, and Mew.

Ash was silent when they arrived, not even saying hello. May figured he was still bummed about not being able to return to Pallet Town.

"So where are we going to go now?" She asked Arceus.

"_Mew is going to take you to Nuvema Town in Unova. The pokemon professor there will help you and then you will be travelling around Unova. Ash will use his real name since barely anyone knows it."_ Arceus explained. _"I suggest you do as well."_

May nodded. "I understand." She turned to Ash. "Ash, are you okay?"

Ash shook his head and pointed to his mouth.

May frowned. "I don't understand."

"_The large amount of sleeping powder used during Ash's captivity has taken away his voice. It hasn't returned yet, but I'm sure it will eventually."_ Arceus told her.

"So Ash is mute at the moment?" May asked.

Arceus nodded in response.

"_Can you still use telepathy like I taught you?"_ Lucario asked.

Ash nodded. _"Yes, but I'd prefer that I didn't have to."_

May was startled to hear Ash's voice in her head, despite Lucario's question.

"_May, thank you for saving me. I owe you one._" Ash said.

May cracked a small smile. "No problem. That's what friends are for."

Ash turned to Arceus. _"We're ready when you are."_

Arceus nodded to Mew, who teleported Ash, May, Manaphy, Lucario, and Pikachu to Nuvema Town.

**Later…**

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Ash and May." The Unova Pokemon Professor, a descendant of Professor Juniper, said. "I understand you already have pokemon and are looking for an ID in order to travel."

"That's correct, Ma'am. We've spend our time since we got our pokemon at home so as to get accustomed to them." May said.

"Well, I'm going to need your hometown and age in order to give you a pokedex and ID." The professor said.

May's mouth ran dry. She didn't really know where to say she was from.

"_Say Petalburg City. It's one of the few places that has lasted through the past five hundred years."_ Ash told her.

"Petalburg City, and I'm 13 while Ash is 14." May told the professor, knowing the part about Ash being fourteen was a lie.

"Okay. Do you want me to give your friend a mute handicap?" The professor asked.

May shook her head. "He's only temporarily mute and he has his own way to communicate with his pokemon."

The professor nodded. "I understand. Well, here are your IDs and pokedexes. I've connected all your current pokemon to your pokedexes. Enjoy your journey."

"Thank you." May said and she and Ash left the lab. Ash called out Pikachu, who perched on his shoulder, while May called out Manaphy, who she had caught in a pokeball for safety reasons.

"_This feels a lot like the good old days. Back before you-know-what happened to me."_ Ash said, smiling.

May smiled lightly at him. It might feel the same to him, but she knew it was different. They were in danger and could not return to their friends or Ash's family. Not to mention, Ash had lived for a long time without human companionship and was probably smarter than before.

"_Come on, May! Let's get going!"_ Ash called from somewhere up ahead.

May smiled wider. So maybe Ash _had_ been living alone for five hundred years. That didn't mean he was completely different from the Ash she knew, and maybe being with one of his friends again was bringing out the inner child he'd been holding back.

She caught up to Ash. "So do they still have contests and gym battles?"

Ash nodded. "_The contests are somewhat similar to the way they were five hundred years ago, but the gym battles are way different. Instead of just going and challenging the gym leader, like I used to, you participate in a tournament at a gym. Any trainer can participate in the tournaments but you can only challenge the gym leader if you win a tournament, and there are no rematches unless you win another tournament at that same gym._" Ash explained. _"They made it that way so that less people participate in the leagues each year. It takes a long time to collect eight badges due to this system. It was changed about two hundred something years ago. Anyways, you use three pokemon until you're in the top eight. For the rest of the tournament, and when facing the gym leader, you use six pokemon. I'm going to need more pokemon if I'm going to compete._"

May nodded in understanding. "Looks like we're going on a pokemon-catching spree. How many pokemon do you need for the contests?"

"_Six. One for the appeal round, two different ones for the next round, and three different ones for the final round. It's a bit harder to please the judges these days. They only allow four coordinators to pass the appeal round. The system is similar, but it's much more difficult, and if you knock your opponent out right away without showing off your pokemon, you lose."_ Ash told her.

"That's tough. I'm going to have to work harder to get my ribbons. I hope my pokemon are up to it." May said.

"_I hope so too._" Ash said, grinning. Then, he frowned. "_You know, I feel really awkward right now. I haven't acted like this since before I was turned immortal._"

May turned to stare at him and considered his words. They sounded true enough. It sounded like she was right about her being with him bringing out his inner child.

"I can understand that. I mean, your story is a really depressing one." May said.

"_To tell the truth, I tried to forget about you and the others, but Lucario said you would want to be remembered. I soon found it was impossible to forget anyways. We've been through too much together. I spent some time with Gary and a boy named N I met in the Unova region, but they eventually grew old and died, and I was alone. Those two and Professor Oak were the first ones I shared my secret with. I'm always careful about who I tell. Usually, it's someone I play with when they're young and then meet again when they've grown up. That's how I met Mr. Jones. He was ten and I, as always, appeared to be fourteen. We played together and he eventually saw I wasn't growing like he was. When he asked the inevitable question about me, I left and didn't see him again for several years. When I did run into him again, he had figured it out and promised not to tell anybody. That's how most people found out my secret, by figuring it out on their own. Luckily, it's usually only one person every forty years or so._" Ash paused. "_I hope Mr. Jones isn't stressing too much about me. He cares about me a lot._"

May nodded in understanding. "He asked almost all of Pallet Town to help search for you. He called you Eric."

Ash sighed. "_That's the name I was going by when I disappeared. Mr. Jones seems to be the only one other than me able to remember which name I'm going by when, which is strange since he always calls me by my real name._"

"I know! Why don't you call him?! He won't have to stress if you tell him you're okay!" May suggested.

"_Lost my voice, remember?_" Ash reminded her. "_I can't use telepathy long-distance. Besides, it's too risky. It would help those creeps find us._"

"You're right." May sighed. "But I do feel bad letting Mr. Jones worry."

Ash snapped his fingers. "_I've got it! We'll send a note on a flying-type pokemon! They can't trace that!_"

May smiled. "Yeah. That would work. Do they still do that these days?"

Ash shook his head. "_No, but we can if we catch one!_"

It didn't take long to find and catch a Pidove. Ash took out a piece of technology and a styler and wrote the note.

"Modern paper?" May asked, motioning to the piece of technology Ash was writing on.

Ash nodded and telepathically gave Pidove directions to Mr. Jones's restaurant after tying the piece of technology to its leg.

Pidove took off for Kanto while Ash and May set off for the next city on their hover boards.

"So what's the next city called?" May asked. "I mean, you said not many cities had survived the five hundred years."

"_You won't believe this but it was named after Cilan, since he was a gym leader there when he 'died'. Same thing happened to Cerulean City. Misty City has a great ocean view."_ Ash grinned.

May did her best to bite back her laughter. "We're seriously going to Cilan City?" Ash nodded. "Arceus, Cilan would freak out if he knew."

"_Say, want to send them a letter when Pidove comes back?_" Ash asked. "_You can tell them about Misty City and Cilan City_."

May nodded, still holding back her laughter. "Sure."

"Hey! You!" May and Ash turned to see a boy about fifteen or sixteen glaring at them. "I just lost in the first round of a gym tournament and now I'm gonna beat you to make up for it."

"Um… There are two of us. Which one do you want to battle?" May asked.

The boy smirked. "Both of you. I can tell you're newbies by your age. You'll be easy beats."

"Okay. I'll go first then. Two-on-two fine for you? First to lose both pokemon loses?" May asked.

The boy agreed. "I'll choose first! Go, Zebstrika!"

"Blaziken! Come on out!" May replied.

**Skip Battle Scene…**

"Impossible! How can you two be so strong?! You're both younger than me!" The boy groaned. "And how did his pokemon know what to do even though he didn't say anything?!"

"Ash has his own way of communicating with his pokemon." May said. "Now, if you'll excuse us. We're off to Cilan City." She did her best not to burst out laughing when she said where they were going.

"Hmph. The gym tournament there just ended. There won't be another one for two weeks. The contest there ended recently as well. Won't be another one for two and a half weeks." The boy informed them.

"Thank you for the information. We'll head there anyways." May said, disappointed at what the boy had just said.

The boy shrugged. "Fine with me. Go ahead and wait two weeks for the next gym tournament. I'm heading to the soonest one right now and it's not in Cilan City."

"Thanks, but Ash needs to catch some new pokemon before the tournament anyways." May said.

"Don't have six pokemon? Lame." The boy said. "Perhaps we'll meet again. Doesn't matter to me." He zoomed off on his hover board.

May and Ash exchanged glances and shrugged.

"_I forgot to mention. You can carry up to eight pokemon with you now."_ Ash said.

"Really? Wish I still had Skitty…" May sighed. "I hope she lived a somewhat happy life with my mom."

"_That means you have Glaceon, Venusaur, Blaziken, Beautifly, Munchlax, Wartortle, and Manaphy, right?_"

"Yes. I'm sad not to have Skitty though."

"_Hey, at least you didn't have to watch your pokemon grow old and die while you didn't grow the tiniest bit_."

"You win. Your situation's worse."

"_Thought so_."

"Come on, let's go."

"_Okay._"

They hadn't gone far when Ash stopped and pointed to some moving bushes.

A Ducklett wandered out into the open.

Ash called out Pikachu and pulled out a pokeball. _"Pikachu, use thunderbolt._"

"Lett!" Ducklett yelled as he was electrocuted. Ash threw a pokeball at him. It wobbled four times before signifying a successful capture.

Ash went to pick it up. Surprisingly, yet not surprisingly, he didn't cheer at getting a new pokemon.

"Congratulations, Ash. You caught a Ducklett." May said, wanting to hear him cheer at that like he used to.

Ash managed a smile at her. "_Yeah. I'm sure she'll live to be a great Swanna."_

"You sure it's a she?" May asked.

"_I could tell from her aura."_ Ash replied.

"Her aura?" May was confused.

"_You remember that whole adventure with Lucario and the Tree of Beginning, right?_"

"Right."

"_Turns out, Sir Aaron is my father. He traveled through time with a Celebi and met my mother. Then, I was born. Sometimes I wish I wasn't."_

May slapped him. "Don't say that, Ash! Life wouldn't be the same if you weren't born! I never would've liked pokemon and I never would've met Manaphy, right Manaphy?"

"Right, Mama." Manaphy said.

"You were the one who taught me to love pokemon. It's thanks to you I met Manaphy and had all those other adventures. Don't wish you weren't born. I love you." May covered her mouth at those last three words, shocked she had said them.

Ash stared at her. _"What?"_

"Not in that way! I don't think…" May trailed off.

Ash shrugged. "_Whatever you say."_

May mentally kicked herself. Why did she have to say that? Ash probably didn't even feel the same way. He would probably be uncomfortable loving someone after all that time alone, especially since they would probably die long before him.

They continued on their way to Cilan City.


End file.
